TimeBound
by FightingThunder720
Summary: Rei, a temporal fish out of water. Aurum, the winged Avian. Radia, a mysterious prophetic Novakid. Aki, a Glitch Outcast. Together they will explore the outer reaches of time and space, to discover the universe's secrets. To discover things that no one else has ever seen before. And maybe...to discover love in their darkest hours. StarBound, meet Raiden II/Fighters(the 90's shmup.)
1. Chapter 1: A Dangerous Encounter

_The blue-haired girl ran through a forest, clutching a small box. She knew the people in black were pursuing her, and she could not allow the contents of the box to fall into their hands! But slowly she ran out of stamina, and the men in black quickly caught up. "Give us the machine, and we'll let you off the hook!" one man said, but the girl knew it was a lie. Once they had the box, they would kill her to keep her quiet. Eventually her legs could carry her no further, and she fell to the ground. The men surrounded her, pointing their strange weapons at her. The leader walked up and simply stated, "Give me the box." The girl, desperate, activated the box and jabbed randomly into the keypad. The man, startled, howled in confusion. "What? What are you doing? You fool! You don't even know if it works!" The girl nodded. "But at least I've got a chance." With that, girl and box disappeared through time._

Rei opened her eyes. She was somewhere in a field of orange flowers. The air was thick with oxygen, making her feel unnaturally strong. Rei stood up, trying to get her bearings. _What happened?_ Rei didn't really remember much of anything, just her name and the fact that the box she was holding was very important. She wasn't sure _why_ it was important, but it was. Her legs were covered in small cuts and wounds, as if she'd run through a giant rosebush. Having nothing else to do, she decided to find a place to stay for the night. It looked like it was going to rain soon. Eventually, she came across a small cave. She climbed inside,, hoping to wait out the rain. She heard a scraping sound behind her. Quickly turning around to find the source, she saw an adorable little critter. It began whistling a tune to her. "Awww...Look at you!" she cried, wrapping her arms around it. Suddenly, it stopped humming. Rei looked at it. "Oh, you don't have to stop!" She laughed, but it didn't last long. The creature began growling. "Wha-AHHH!" Rei screamed as the creature pinned her to the ground with its long arms. It reared its head back, poised to strike. And strike it did. It snapped with its big jaws , mauling her arms. Rei howled in pain. The creature lifted her off the ground, hurling her at the cave wall. Rei, immobilized, could only watch as the launched itself at her neck. She closed her eyes and waited for the end... but it never came. Rei opened her eyes. the creature's eyes were wide, and it stared downwards before going limp, dead as a doornail. She looked at the place where it had been staring, to realize the creature had been impaled in a spear of some sort. She looked up, to see a blue-feathered bird looking at her. The bird stood on two legs, and he wore heavy armor. His wings, too, were armored. He offered Rei his hand, and she gratefully took it. He hauled her up, and said, "Never trust a Poptop, kid. In this world, it's kill or be killed. You won't always be that lucky. Anyways, my name's Aurum. Aurum Revinski. What's yours?" "R-Rei..." Rei was still shaken. "No offense, but...What exactly are you?" Aurum looked shocked. "You're on planet Avos, and you don't even know what an Avian looks like? How the heck is that possible? Well, er, anyways...I'm an Avian." "Avian. I'll remember that. Wait, planet Avos? You mean, like _planet_ as in... _not Earth?!_ " "Kid, I dunno what rock you've been living under your whole life, but you humans should know it better than anyone. Earth was destroyed 30 years ago."


	2. Chapter 2: How Do We Get Off This Rock?

"So what you're saying is that Earth has been destroyed? As in, _completely annihilated_ destroyed?" Rei's head was spinning with all this new information. "Yes, a giant tentacle abomination tore apart the planet. Why is it so hard to understand?" Aurum, her Avian companion was a bit confused. "Oh, well, _excuse me if someone is telling me my entire frickin' planet was destroyed._ " "Oh, alright, I guess it would be a bit shocking, when you put it that way." Rei nodded. "So, is there any civilization nearby?" Aurum laughed. "Oh, there's civilization, but you wouldn't want to go there anyways." Rei cocked her head. "Why not?" "Well, there's kind of a civil war going on around here. You see, there's this group called the Stargazers who run most of our civilization. They all believe in a god named Kluex. Personally, I don't, which is why I'm all the way out here on my own. Anyways, to appease Kluex, they do all kinds of crazy things. They think it was a sin to be born in the real world, and not in the Aether, which I guess is the equivalent to the human 'heaven.' So they have all the young Avian's wings cut off. Oh, and a lot of Avians are forced to jump off towers without those wings, and try to fly. They always hit the ground and die. It's ridiculous. I'm glad I ran away from home before my wings were clipped." "That's horrible! What kind of god would do that to their people?" "No god, that's who. It's all just lies and deception. Although, Kluex actually did exist at one point, in the real world." "Really?" Rei asked. "Yeah. Apparently he was really smart and brave, and humble too. But he would constantly say he wasn't a god. Then, he suddenly disappeared. Of course, the Stargazers just say he 'ascended into the Aether,' and somehow most Avians believed their pile of Poptop dung, but some of us, like myself, know the truth! Kluex is _dead_. At this point, all the Stargazers are is a corrupt government clinging to power. So eventually, us nonbelievers, or the Grounded as the Stargazers call us, decided to rise up against the Stargazers, and that's how this civil war started."

"I guess some legends are based in fact." was all Rei could stammer. The Avian obviously had a deep and rich history, which she had only just begun to comprehend. But her thoughts were cut off by voices outside. "Hey! I think he went this way!" "In there? That's way too obvious!" "Whatever, let's check anyway!" Aurum pushed Rei to the ground. "Quiet," he hissed. Rei nodded, but she wasn't sure if she could. There was a snake-like creature slithering across her hand... Then, the creature's screech broke the silence. "Hey! You! Get over here!" An Avian with grey feathers grabbed Rei, holding a knife to her neck. "One move, and I slit the girl's throat, 'Brother.'" The last word came out almost as a sneer. Aurum gulped. "So, are you ready to submit? Or is this blood about to be spilled?" "Do I not have a say in this?" Rei asked. "No! You're the hostage! Shut up and act like one!" "I beg to differ, 'Graybeard'." Rei bit the Avian's arm. He reeled backwards, shaking his hand. "Alright, your'e gonna pay for that in blood, girl!" "You say 'girl' like an insult. At least I called you old." An eerie calm washed over Rei. She faced the Avian, and rushed forward, landing an uppercut to the face. The Avian fell to the ground unconscious."If I remember my life science class, females tend to be a bit more dangerous than males." "Rei, we should get out of here. We don't know when he'll wake up." "That's true," Rei replied, "but where would we go? Is there any way off this planet? Are there even any other humans?" "Of course. There were lots of humans off-planet when Earth was destroyed. They've moved on." "So...how do we get off this rock?"


	3. Chapter 3: The Escape

"So how do we get off this rock?" Rei asked. "Well, we'll have to steal a fighter craft. There's always at least three per city in case of emergency. The problem is getting there. We'll be pretty conspicuous. Humans, while not unheard of, are a bit uncommon on Avos. We haven't had any diplomatic ties in a while. And my wings will get us in trouble for sure. If only I could hide them..." "Hide them? I might be able to help with that." Rei pulled off her cape, and fitted it onto Aurum. "That should do."

Soon enough, a human and a shifty-looking Avian in a cape were walking through a town. A few Avians gave them weird looks, but they went about their jobs as usual. The duo walked briskly to the spaceport. "Are you ready for this?" Rei asked. "More than ready," was Aurum's blunt reply.

"An entry ticket for two, please," said Rei, slipping some Avosian credits over the counter. They walked into the spaceport, and immediately began snooping around the fighter craft. All was going well, when a guard snuck up on Aurum. "What are you doing all the way over here?" Aurum spun around, tripped and fell to the ground. His wing slipped out from under his cape, and the guard gasped in shock. Avians had their wings cut off at the age of three! Having wings at this age was certainly illegal! "Security!" the guard bellowed. "Rei, it's time to get out of here!"

Aurum grabbed Rei and shot into the air, landing atop the nearest craft. On the red fighter were the words, "Raiden MK II." The words stirred something in Rei. But before she could put her finger on it, she was dragged into the ship. It was surprisingly large-there were two rooms and a cockpit. "A Raiden Mark Two. It's a human spacecraft if I remember correctly. Not too different from a twenty-first century fighter jet, either. You could probably fly this thing, being a human and all." "Alright, I'll...give it a shot."

Rei gave a nervous grin. She had to be going crazy! Piloting a futuristic fighter jet? She'd never even flown a _normal_ fighter jet! And she was gonna do it in _space?_ Yeah, she was probably going over the edge. Even so, she gripped the controls. She took note of what she had-a machine gun, a laser, and an "ion cannon." _Ion cannon?_ That sounded weirdly familiar. There was also a bomb of sorts, she'd save that for a last resort. The left joystick was for vertical movement, the right for banking left and right. _All right,_ Rei thought, _I can do this!_


	4. Chapter 4: Faster Than Light-ning

_I can do this!_ Thought Rei. She pulled back on the joystick, muscle memories from who-knew-where all that kept her from being shot down by the pursuing force. "Rei! On your left!" Aurum howled. Reacting almost instantly to the incoming homing missile, Rei pulled downwards, towards the ground in a high-speed dive. "What are you doing? We're gonna crash!" But at the last moment, Rei pulled back, and the missile crashed into the ground. The RM-II, on the other hand, skimmed over the water, trailing a high-flying wake of mist. Pulling upwards into the air, Rei shouted, "Let's get off this rock!" And with that, she shot through the atmosphere. "So, where do we go now?" asked Aurum, "I've never left Avos before." "Well," replied Rei, "let's leave it up to chance!" She jabbed in some coordinates and activated the FTL drive, and the two were off on a new adventure, never seen before, never told before. Lightning was going to strike.


	5. Chapter 5: Time to Travel!

As they were in FTL travel, Rei noticed a window open up in the MR-II's console. "Please swipe your finger over the scanner. Your DNA will be identified." Rei looked over to Aurum for guidance. "Don't worry, it's not an Avian ship. They won't be able to track us. And the technology's rather primitive, only twenty-second century stuff, so I doubt the US-CM'll even take notice of us." "Right." Rei swiped her finger over the scanner, and was pricked by a needle that drew blood. "Ack! What the heck was that for?!" "We apologize for the inconvenience, Rei Gaiden. The blood sample is mandatory for DNA-based identification." "Ya see what I told ya? Primitive as a Floran!" Aurum laughed. Then he stopped abruptly as the console spoke up again. "Temporal anomaly discovered. Would you like to register the Akira Temporal Transfer Device as well?" "Temporal Transfer Device? Like, a time machine or something?" "Rei," Aurum cut her off, "Did this thing just say you have a _time machine?_ " "Oh, come on! The thing's probably just old. I have nothing on me that'd permit _time travel._ That's just myths and fantasy, right?" "Actually, no, time travel is not a myth. About fifteen time machines have been created, although they were extremely unstable and often brought harm to their users. They also were usually disguised as everyday objects, so that they wouldn't be attacked by money-hungry criminals." Rei was baffled. Time travel was _real?_ Come to think of it, time travel made a lot of sense. If Earth was destroyed, she would _definitely_ be dead. "W-What year is it...?" Rei asked, unsure of whether or not she actually wanted to hear the answer. "Why, it's the year 2442!" "2442? But... it should only be the year 2230!" "Not a time traveler, eh? Then explain how ya got all the way out to Avos with no ship, and no idea the Earth was destroyed!" Aurum was right. There was pretty much no other solid explanation. "But... then what would this 'time machine' look like?" Rei asked. "Well, most time machines were disguised as necklaces, although there was one that looked like an axe. Oh, and there was one that looked like a little box, too. But that one disappeared off the map in the early 2230's." _A little box..? Could it be...this?_ Rei pulled the small box she'd carried with her out of her pocket, inspecting it for any hidden features. "What's that ya got here?" Aurum asked. Rei jumped. "A time machine?" she guessed. Finally, her finger slipped against a small groove in the box. "Huh?" Rei poked and prodded at it, and eventually, the entire box unfolded, revealing a small console and keypad inside. She fit the box inside the hole that had opened in the console. "Temporal Transfer Device accepted. To which era would you like to travel?" Rei looked at Aurum. "WIIIIILD WEEEEEEEEEEESST!" they screamed excitedly.


	6. Chapter 6: The Really, REALLY Wild West!

**NOTE: Sorry I've been gone so long. I went on a short trip to Canada. Well, at least I brought souvenie-e-e-e-e-e-ers! And yes, I just called a town "John Doe." You mad, bro? Well, too bad. DEAL WITH IT. But to make up for my delay, this will be the longest chapter to date, AND the reveal of a new character! Prepare yourself for this chapter!**

* * *

The year was 2185, known as the the "Fifteenth Wild West..." and the people of Johndoetown had a new nighttime terror. Bandits raided the town constantly. These bandits were known far and wide as the Bandits of the Scarred Mountains. The Scarred Mountains were a mountain range known for their lack of vegetation and constant fires. Because of the harsh conditions, its people had become equally cruel, stealing and looting anything they could find and hoarding it for themselves. But the situation was about to change with the arrival of two bright young varmints from the future.

* * *

Rei and Aurum walked through a rather empty town. Supposedly, it was home to Novakids, but right now it looked like a ghost town. Windows and doors were boarded up, and not a single Novakid was to be seen. "Wow... I never expected it to be so... quiet. What do you think could be going on, to have everyone so scared?" "I dunno, Rei. It's pretty creepy, though. You don't suppose everyone just...left, do you?"

"Hey! You over there! Lad! Lass! Ya'll must be darn crazy, runnin' around at this time! Dontja know better? The Scarred Bandits'll be comin' out soon! C'mon inside, 'fore ya crazy folk get us all shot full 'a holes!" A stocky looking Novakid poked her head out of what looked like a blacksmith's shop. "Er...sure..." was Rei's awkward reply.

"So... could you inform us about what's going on around here? Who are these... Scarred Bandits everyone's afraid of? Is there anything we could do to help?" "Why, the Scarred Bandits are the bane of our poor town! They raid our supplies and farms at night, and they shoot anyone who stands n'their way full a' holes! And there prolly ain't nothin' ya can do 'bout it either. The gods can't save us from this scourge, so I doubt a few 'a you city kids'll make a dent in 'em." "That bad, huh? Here's an idea. You're a smith, right? Well, if you can you forge my friend over here a nice weapon," Aurum said, pointing at Rei, who was leaning on a wall, "we'll help you out. How about it?" The Novakid looked at the duo like they were both insane. "Are y'all mad? I just said the gods can't help us! You really think y'all're gonna make a difference? Crazy city folk." Aurum reached into his satchel, pulling out a large gold nugget. He set it on the table. "Arright, _now_ I'm interested. Th' name's Radia, by th' way. Remember it."

"So, what kinda weapon are ya lookin' for? Pistol? Rifle? Rocket launcher?" "I was thinking something a bit different." Rei pulled a piece of paper from her waistcoat pocket, and spread it out on the table. "Why, this ain't a gun t'all! What in th' world's a pipsqueak like you gonna do with a 10 foot long sword?" "First off, _don't call me pipsqueak._ Secondly, the thing's not gonna be made of... traditional metals, per se. We were hoping you could make this sword out of..." Rei set down several large crystals on the table, "these." "Why, ain't these sirium crystals? These are s'posed to be real hard to find, ya know? An' they're even more dangerous t' mine! Sometimes they'll even explode on ya! How in th' world'ja get ya hands on these?" asked Radia. Sirium crystals were incredibly rare crystals, valued even more for their amazing durability. They were considered to be some of the hardest things in the universe, and had to be heated to extreme temperatures just to soften them enough to make them malleable. "Well, we, uh... came across a vein of them on our way here." "Just stumbled 'cross a vein of sirium, eh? Ya'll ain't very good liars, but I s'pose it doesn't concern me how ya got 'em. It's every smith's dream ta forge with one'a these! 'S a once-in-a-lifetime chance, y'know?" Radia was ecstatic. "Well, shall we get started?"

"God, it's hot in here..." Rei complained as they climbed down the ladder into Radia's forge. A Novakid could thrive in these conditions, but for a Human or an Avian? _Not fun._ The smoke burned Rei and Aurum's lungs, but they pressed on until eventually the heat just... _disappeared._ It was quite sudden, and it sent a cold rush down Rei's spine. "We're here. Behind that door's th' hottest forge ya'll 're ever gonna see in your life! I reckon ya should keep yer distance. Ya'll can watch from 'hind that glass wall over there," said Radia, pointing to a wall made of heat-resistant glass. With that, Radia opened the door, and stepped in.

As Radia was forging, she felt an odd impulse to sing. She wasn't sure what to sing, though. But lyrics seemed to be pushing their way through her mind, so with no idea why she was doing it, she opened her mouth to sing:

 _"Revere the great seer_

 _Preaching from on high_

 _Bringing hope against our worst fears_

 _Even as the end seems nigh,_

 _Speaking of a better world."_

 _"Revere the peregrine falcon_

 _Spearing from the sky_

 _To catch the innocent with golden talons,_

 _Flying through time,_

 _Hoping for a better world."_

 _"Revere the heroic prince_

 _With his comrades, daring to fly_

 _In the face of danger, refusing to wince_

 _Endeavoring through time_

 _Crying out for a better world."_

 _"And revere the red hero_

 _upon wings of steel,_

 _through the fire she flies_

 _Before her thunder, all else is but zero_

 _For the legend is real,_

 _And she will answer their cries,_

 _Fighting through time,_

 _Building them a better world."_

Radia looked down at her work, to find a masterpiece laying before her. It was a beautifully built, ten-foot long sword of crystal. At the end of the blade, it had a large curve, almost like a scythe. The outer, black edge was deadly sharp, drawing fiery blood as Radia drew her finger across it. The inner, blue blade was serrated to cut armor. But instead of a standard, straight serration, the ridges flowed with the blade's unusual contours, like the spines of some great dragon. The scythe-like end of the blade curved outwards to its apex, before curving backwards, towards the holder. It was the most artistic weapon she had ever built. It was surprisingly light for its huge size, weighing in at just 15 pounds. She lifted the weaponized piece of art and brought it out to the table where Rei and Aurum were waiting.

"Is this fancy ol' sword good enough for ya?" Radia asked. "This is," Rei began, "This is...well..." Radia was sure the kid was about to get angry and refuse her pay. " _This is the most beautiful object ever to exist in the universe!_ " The human reached out for a bear hug, but then realized that touching a _sentient star_ was probably not the smartest idea and retracted her arms. "Well, I guess I'd better uphold my end of the bargain, huh?" "Yeah. Don't let my finest work go ta waste, arright?" "I'll give it a shot!" was Rei's enthusiastic reply.


	7. Chapter 7: The Magnificent Two

**NOTES: I have decided to define each character's point of view starting with this chapter. I feel it will give you a better understanding of the situation at hand, and make the story more coherent. So, without further ado, I present to you: Timebound Seven: The Magnificent Two!**

The duo, Avian and Human, made for an odd sight. The girl, who had washed the blue dye from her hair, had a mane of spiked-up crimson hair that looked like something out of an old Earth anime, and had an absurdly large sword strapped into a makeshift sheath on her back, sitting on a black horse behind the cyan feathered Avian, who carried a large lance. They were headed for the Scarred Mountains, something increasingly absurd. The duo did not notice the lone Glitch watching them.

 **? POV**

The Glitch hurried up the mountains. If he didn't get to the base in time... Oh, the horrors they would visit upon him! He'd seen what the bandits had done to the other watchers when they failed or tried to escape. He didn't want to end up like that. He didn't want to die yet. He wasn't ready! So he made his way up the mountain, praying to any deity that would hear him that he wasn't too late.

 **Rei's POV**

The wind ripped through Rei's hair, and her cape flapped in the wind. It was wonderful. She loved to go fast, to feel the speed she was born for. And horses were fast. Maybe not as fast as the Raiden Mark II, but still fast. But something on the horizon snapped her out of her musings. A mass of Novakids stood in front of them, and they didn't look too happy. "Aurum, are those..?" "Definitely. Let's keep our heads low, and look for an opening." The duo led the horse behind some scrub and listened in.

"I don't get it. That darned Glitch is our most reliable watchah, 'n he said they'd be here! Rahddere! But when we show up, they ain't here!" "Ye don' s'pose that Glitch varmint was misleadin' us, do ye? Ta 'stract us while he turns tail an' runs?" "Could be, but prolly not. He's too yellow ta do summat like that. These varmints're jes' bein' clever. Prolly jes' hidin' somewhere 'round here." The Novakid looked around. Rei was petrified. _Did he see us?_ But the Novakid didn't seem to notice them. He turned back, and began talking once again. "Arright boys, fan out! Find these varmints, an' show 'em what the Scarred bandits're made of!" "SIR, YES SIR!"

"They may be bandits, but they sure are... disciplined, at least as far as bandits go..." Rei whispered. "Our best option is to make a break for it. It won't be long until they find us here." "Alright, but we'll have to wait till no one's looking." "Alright. On my mark."

"NOW!" Rei and Aurum sprinted through the sand at a pace neither had thought possible. But then, something catastrophic happened. Aurum tripped on a rock. "Aurum!" The bandits had spotted them, and they were quickly surrounded. There was no way out but to fight.

"Bring in on, you pathetic fools!" Rei howled, standing protectively over the recovering Aurum. _There's no going back now. The only way through is forwards!_


	8. Chapter 8: The Raiden Fighters

**Note: This will be the first major plot point. Prepare yourself! Also, I suggest you listen to your favorite "epic music" track while reading this. Personally, mine is Raiden V's Fortress of Philosophy.**

Aurum got to his feet. He saw Rei, ripping and tearing through her foes like a raging tempest. But there was something else he saw, something worrying. A huge Novakid with an equally huge axe was charging towards Rei. That axe could easily worm its way around her blade and slice her in two."Rei! Look out behind you!" Rei whipped around instantly, bringing her crystalline sword up just in time to meet the bandit's axe. The two weapons clashed with a _clang_ that was heard for miles around. After the shock to the two adversaries' arms wore off, Rei barraged the bandit with a swift flurry of attacks., the Novakid bringing his axe up to perfectly block each attack. With a final howl of rage, Rei spun in a circle, swinging the sword with just one hand. But something unexpected happened. Rei's sword shattered. "W-what...? No... That can't be! That's not possible...!" Rei cried as she was forced down to the ground. She tried to push the bandit's weight off of her, but her arms were fatigued to the point where she could barely move them... "Give up yet?" "Never..." Rei spat. "Well, let me tell ya a little somethin'. Ya might as well just give up an' die already. There ain't no way yer gonna liv through this, kid. Wiith that, the bandit slammed his fist full-force into Rei's face.

Rei closed her eyes and prayed. _No! I can't allow this to happen! Something, someone, some_ deity, _anything, protect me! I'm not ready to die!_ Andinstead of breaking her skull clean open like it should have, his fist struck against a hard surface. Both Rei and the bandit looked in surprise at the Sirium armor forming over Rei's body.

Looking over, Rei saw the shards of crystal melting, not into magma, but into something more like water. Like the crystals, this liquid was a bright cyan. And it traveled towards her, crystallizing into a beautiful coat of armor upon contact with her body. It appeared to have eight segments that could each be taken off- the first, a helmet with a visor, like something a knight might wear. Second, a breastplate. On the center was a carapace that spread out like a fan. It circled around to the back of the breastplate, where it formed a pair of crystalline wings, like those of a fighter jet. There were two arm guards, which were lined with serrated crystals like spikes. On her hands formed gauntlets, each with two crystalline claws mounted above her hands. Finally, the leggings were built to increase mobility-along the knees, it had several segments that bent and turned with the knee.

The armor felt cool on Rei's body, and it gave her the strength to push the bandit off of her and wrestle him to the ground. "Now who's giving up?" she asked to the now-cowering Novakid, before running him through with her brand-new claws. The bandits, terrified of this brutal way of fighting, ran away. The armor melted back into liquid, forming itself into a sword once again. Rei, in awe of these recent events, picked up the sword, prodding it in an attempt to reveal its secrets.

 **? POV**

The Glitch peeked out from behind some scrub. The bandits were running away scared, but not him. He was... what the word for that emotion? Overjoyed. He would go with "overjoyed." And he was free. He was really, fully, truly, finally free. Then the human turned towards him.

 **Rei's POV**

Rei heard a rustling sound to her right. _A bandit?_ Instinctively, she looked over, to see not a Novakid, but a Glitch. "What business do you have with us?" she growled. "Sincerity. I wanted to thank you. You have freed me from the clutches of these bandits. Introduction. My name is Aki, and I was hoping I could travel with you." "Why, exactly, do you want to travel with us, Aki?" "Negotiative. I am a traveler of many trades-smithing, mechanics, tactics, private investigation, but I can do little to defend myself on my own. Sad. These bandits captured me, and forced me to do their bidding. In return for your protection, I shall offer my services to you." Rei looked over to Aurum. "What do you think, Aurum?" "Well, he seems pretty sincere to me. And we do need to do some repairs on the Raiden. I think this would be a good opportunity." Rei mulled it over for a bit. "You're right, Aurum. Aki, welcome to the... uh, wait... we never came up with a name for ourselves, did we, Aurum?" "Oh, you're right! Hmm... how about... the Raiden Fighters?" "The...Raiden Fighters? That's... actually a pretty clever name. The Raiden Fighters it is!"

 **And that is how the small group of time travelers known as the Raiden Fighters was founded. A Human, an Avian, and a Glitch, with no particular destination set off for the-oh, wait, we're missing someone! Radia hasn't joined yet! Find out what happens on the next FABULOUS chapter of... Timebound!**


	9. Chapter 9: Don't Judge Spear the Misfits

**Hey there, sorry for taking so long. I wanted to fit a bunch of stuff into this part, and flesh out Aki as a character. I had a lot of different ideas to work with, and I was also working on my other fic. So yeah, I'm back.**

-Radia-

Radia sat down on a wooden chair on her porch. Those mercenaries hadn't come back yet...but neither had the bandits. She wondered if both sides had been killed off. That would be a shame... she'd been ready to give them a pretty sweet reward... Then she heard a distant thundering of hooves. Radia looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. Then she saw a cloud of dust in the distance. Rei and Aurum were back, with some random Glitch hanging onto their horse for dear...life? Battery? Activation? Oh, whatever. They were back, and that was what mattered.

-Rei-

"Radiaaaaa!"Rei yelled, waving. Aurum sat behind her, chuckling. Aki was trying not to fall off the horse. They skidded to a stop at the porch of Radia's house and dismounted. "Hey, guess who's back?" She wiped sweat off her brow. "Hey, Rei. We reckoned that since y'all helped our lil' town, we'd help ya out too." "Huh?" "Well, the four of us ain't gonna fit in one ship. So, my friends an' I gathered up our money to buy anotha' one." "Uh, Radia... You _do_ realize there's only three of us... right...?" "Not anymore... 'cause I'm comin' with ya! I heard ya talkin' about time travel before ya left. So if you're time travelers, I wanna be one too. So count me in." _She's not gonna lake no for an answer, is she...?_ "Alright. Can we see this ship?" "Ya sure can! Follow me!" She led the trio into her garage. Inside, there was a large red-and-white ship"This right here's a Judge Spear-a real marvel a' Novakid technology." "Can I look in the cockpit?!" Aurum begged. "Sure ya can! Just don't break anything." The Avian slipped into the cockpit. "Oh, wow! It really _does_ have 21 gears! And the seats are made of rubium! And it's the latest model-designed to hold double the normal missile count without the extra air resistance!" Aki piped up. "Informative. Actually, it has 24 gears. Analytic. However, you appear too excited to notice." Rei wasn't entirely sure what Aurum and Aki were talking about, but apparently they really liked fighter craft. She let the two geek out for a while. She clambered into the Raiden Mark II's cockpit, turning on the engines. Electric blue fire surged out of its thrusters. Aurum climbed out of the Judge Spear's cockpit to join Rei in the Raiden Mark II.

-Aurum-

Aurum looked back at Aki. Something about him seemed so familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. _Maybe I've met him before..._ His thoughts were interrupted by the Raiden Mark II taking off with a jolt. Aurum dismissed the thought. _It's probably just my imagination._

-Aki-

Aki loved to go fast. Some people said Glitch couldn't feel love, but in spite of that, whenever he felt the wind on his face-even running would do-his sensors overloaded with something he couldn't seem to compute, yet enjoyed all the same. It was freezing cold, and deadly hot at the same time... but it wasn't scary at all. It had an allure to it that kept him coming back for more. He'd heard that humans sometimes would consume certain substances and then wouldn't be able to stop. That was how he felt about speed. He was pretty sure that was what the other races called love. He felt like he'd been activated for the sole purpose of going fast. It was what kept him going. Even if he wasn't sure why he was created, or who had done so, he knew that the wind was there for him, and that was what mattered. But he'd always wanted to share the wind with someone else. He saw no point in wind if not everyone could feel it. It was that errant thought that had finally severed him from the hivemind. At first, he ran to prevent himself from being late to meetings and such. Then he just started to run everywhere. The townsfolk began giving him odd looks. At first, he didn't understand. Was he doing something wrong? No, there couldn't be anything wrong with running, could there? Why didn't everybody run? It was way better than walking. Eventually, a thought crossed his mind. _Why am I different? Why am I the only one who runs?_ At first, he thought it might me a defective circuit, and went in for an examination. But they didn't find anything wrong. Every day, Aki's thoughts had become more and more erratic. He fidgeted and spaced out occasionally. It was difficult to connect to the hivemind. Aki was terrified. He didn't want to be an Outcast! He didn't want to be different! Then he met an Avian with wings.

 _Aki was taking a stroll, trying to clear his mind. He'd come to planet Avos as an ambassador._ I am a Glitch. I like myself the way I am. I am one with the hivemind. _He tried to focus on those things._ _"Hey there." A voice startled him out of his thoughts. A small Avian was looking up at him. There was something odd about this Avian, though. A large pair of wings protruded from his back. "My name's Aurum! Who are you?" Aki decided to reply with a short answer. "Aki." "Why are your wings not clipped?" he asked. "I ran away from home. Why were you running? Whenever I see Glitches, they're always walking." Aki had no answer. "Um, I know this is rude, but...are you an Outcast?" That was the straw that killed the camel. Aki realized there were two paths ahead of him. One path was a path of ones and zeroes, an easy life where he was part of the hivemind. But in that easy life, he would accomplish nothing. He would be a slave to fate, and no one would ever remember him. The other path was an unfamiliar path, full of unknowns. He would live as an Outcast, and he would never be able to go home. But he would be free. He could run anywhere he wanted, and nobody could judge him. People might remember him, even if it was only in the back of their minds, an afterthought._

 _Aki realized something. This Avian, three at most, had run away from home because he wanted to fly. And yet, despite being an Outcast of sorts, he wasn't scary at all. He was just...different. And there was nothing wrong with that. Aki was different, too. He could run away like that. Aki stopped lying to himself and realized something else. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to go somewhere where he would be shunned for acting different. He wasn't doing anything wrong. He was different. And he would wear that difference like a badge. He would take pride in it. "Yes," Aki said proudly, "I am an Outcast."_

Aki flipped the power switch for the engines. They flared a blue-green. Aurum didn't seem to remember him-he was probably too young at the time to remember-but Aki remembered that conversation. To think they would've met again after he'd left Avos... He cranked the gear shifter up to 3, and he and Radia took to the sky. _Aurum, thank you._

 **So there you go! A new chapter for your face! Timebound is back and better than ever! And Aki has some interesting history with Aurum, although Aurum doesn't remember.**


End file.
